The Forgotten Boy
by Venus369
Summary: Post Sun/Ultra Sun) After disbanding his gang, Guzma is at rock bottom. He returns home to to rethink his life, and he's even convinced that he could turn a new leaf with the aid of Kahuna Hala and Champion Rachel. In fact, with their help it finally seems like he might actually be able to turn his life around. But if he can't deal with his parents first, all will be for naught.
1. Chapter 1

Guzma wandered aimlessly through the city, hands stuffed in his pockets and back slouched. He felt comfortable this way, as though the simple gestures of sticking his hands in his pockets and slouching somehow put another barrier between himself and those around him. Guzma had grown to depend on these barriers as a Dewpider depends on water.

Eyes drifted and lingered on him as he wandered through the city, and if not for his pensive mood and his barriers he might have snapped at the people they belonged to for staring. Even after he'd disbanded Team Skull and he'd started working with Hala -and sometimes Rachel- to turn a new leaf, most of the people of Alola still only knew him as the hated boss who beat them down and beat them down and never let up, and they would not forgive. Not as easily as Rachel had, anyway.

Still, the knowledge that he had eyes constantly on him didn't do much to make him feel comfortable in his own skin. Why had he come here? He was aimless, simply wandering in a perennial state of limbo. Guzma asked himself that and tried to find a good answer, but when he could think of none he simply told himself _because I could _and distracted himself with other thoughts.

But they soon drifted back to Rachel -to her family- and he couldn't stop them. In fact, Guzma had scarcely been able to keep his mind off the kid since he'd seen her in her house, enjoying herself with her family and her friends. Knowing this, he cursed himself for following Hala- cursed himself for having some curiosity in the kid. What made it worse was that he didn't even understand why he had it, and if he didn't understand himself, who would? He shouldn't have cared that Rachel was having some party; he shouldn't have cared whether he was invited or not. He didn't belong there, he knew, and yet he still couldn't hold back his curiosity. A curiosity that had granted him an answer that had left him pensive and hollow.

Perhaps it was because he had longed to have what Rachel had all of his life, and he envied her for being able to find it even when she was in a place completely unfamiliar to her. Perhaps she had actually given him some hope that he could be the same if he only tried.

"Tch." Guzma scoffed at the thought. Big bad Guzma didn't need anyone in his life to be happy! Not a gang or friends or a family. He had his Pokemon, and as long as they were with him there wasn't anything in the world he couldn't face.

Still, he found it hard to deny to himself that it was true. The small seed of envy that he felt when he thought of her in that moment only grew larger the more he thought about it. Would he ever be able to have what Rachel had with his own family? He tried not to let the thought remain in his mind, but it lingered like a distant echo in a large cavern, only reaffirming the emptiness he felt within himself.

Perhaps he couldn't deny that he was feeling something, but he refused to accept that what he felt was anything more than a seed. If he did, it would mean admitting defeat, and Guzma never admitted defeat to anyone, not even to himself.

That he recognized this didn't make the hurricane of conflicting emotions within him any calmer.

Guzma sighed, kicking a small rock at his feet for no real reason beyond the fact that it was in front of him and he could. He watched the rock tumble ahead of him until it collided with a pair of unsuspecting rose high-heels, bouncing back an inch after the impact and settling gracelessly on the ground afterwards. There was an audible "oh!" of surprise from the wearer of the heals, who turned and inspected her foot to see what had hit it.

Head still lowered and back still slouched, Guzma only knew the woman had turned because he was still absently watching her heels. It took him a moment to realize what he had done, and he lifted his gaze to meet the woman's so he could apologize to her, as Hala had taught him to.

Apologize. _Apologize?_ The word felt foreign and unfamiliar as it entered his mind and rolled off his tongue when he thought about it. Since when had he taken to listening to that old Kahuna's lectures, anyway? Big bad Guzma never apologized to anyone!

His mind went completely blank when he looked up and realized who the woman was.

"Guzma…?" Disbelief was plastered across his mother's aging features as she stared at him, wide-eyed. A couple of feet behind her was his ever-watching father, who harbored a bitter scowl across his face as he leaned heavily on his walking cane.

"Mom… Dad…" His words were weak and his voice thin, and under his father's harsh eyes he couldn't bring himself to face them completely. When his mother took a step forward to give him a hug he took a step back, half-turning away from them. This was enough to abruptly stop her, and hurt, she retreated back to her position by her husband.

Of course they would be here. Of course they would run into each other now, when he had just started thinking of family again. Of course it would be in the middle of the city, where all eyes were present to witness yet another of his shortcomings. Guzma didn't particularly believe in fate, but at that moment he found himself cursing at the universe for toying with him. Even now, when he had given up all he had to turn a new leaf, it was still toying with him. _Of course they would be here._

Guzma clenched his fists in the pockets of his pants and turned his back on them. His slouch had grown further, to the point where he actually took notice to it. For some reason it made him feel vulnerable in the presence of his parents, as though he were allowing their eyes to bore through him by slouching, and immediately he straightened out.

"That's no way to treat your mother, Guzma." His father scolded sternly, and when Guzma remained motionless he added, "are you five, boy? Turn around and look at your father when he's speaking to you!"

Guzma obeyed. He didn't want to obey, but he found himself slowly turning back towards them and before he could stop himself he was facing them again. His slouch returned immediately.

"I see Kahuna Hala's instruction hasn't done anything for you. What a disappointment." His father scoffed, crossing his arms. "You still haven't even started to get your life together. You're pathetic."

Guzma grit his teeth, trying desperately to keep his cool, but the palms of his clenched fists in his pockets were beginning to sweat as his blood boiled at his father's words. Who was he to talk? The most he'd ever gotten from his father was a beating and a kick in the ass, and he was criticizing _Hala's_ instruction?

"At least the old man gave me a chance." Guzma averted his gaze as he scoffed, more out of habit in the presence of his father than anything else. "He did a hell of a lot more for me than you ever did."

"What." It was more of a statement than a question from his father, and it seeped with a sort of familiar ire that Guzma couldn't help taking great satisfaction in.

"Don't say that, Guzma!" His mother exclaimed, exasperated.

She was defending him? Of course she was defending him. Why wouldn't she defend him? He was the father of the household, and what was Guzma? Nothing more than a mere boy- a nuisance in the house. For a brief moment, the image of Rachel and her happy family came to his mind again, and he almost found it laughable that his family could be such a polar opposite to hers. The cherry berry on top was that for a moment, he had actually considered the possibility of having that same kind of happiness with them. But people never changed, did they?

"In fact, now that I think about it," Guzma couldn't stop some of that caustic humor from coming through in his voice as he turned to face the two adults with eyes that only harbored resentment. His anger was consuming him, he knew, and yet he still found himself welcoming it with open arms. His relationship with his parents was a festering wound, and he was itching to start pulling the maggots. "The old man did a hell of a lot more for me than either of you ever did. Dad just beat me, and you just watched and pretended nothing was happening."

"Come on, Guzma, it wasn't like that," his mother tried to reason, but he was far past the point of her skewed reasoning.

"And you think that's normal?" He scoffed. "You think it's normal that your son tries his hardest and it's never good enough for you? You think it's normal that he got beat? You think it's normal that he stayed out late with the bug Pokemon because he had no friends at school, but he'd rather be out there with them than at home with you? Did you ever care about how I was feeling, or was I just another distraction in the house?!"

"I didn't raise such a disrespectful little boy." His father scowled. For once, Guzma found that he could agree with the old man on something. His father _hadn't_ raised him.

"See what I mean! You don't even think of me as your son anymore, do you? Did you ever?!" Guzma almost laughed as he slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand, as though relishing in some kind of victory for hitting the nail on the head. His anger peaked into a new form of hysteria as he clenched his fist in front of him. "And then you wonder why our family is so messed up? Why I ran away? You guys never cared about me at all!"

Guzma's mother took a step closer, reaching her hand out to lower his raised fist in an effort to pacify him. "Guzma, honey, come on. Don't talk like that. Of course we care-"

"Listen to yourself!" Guzma roared, slapping her hand away with such force that the sound of the impact seemed to linger even after he had finished speaking. "Wake up, mom! It's like you're always on another world or something! You never seem to get it, do you? Ya know, reality? It just flies right over your head like a Rowlet or something!"

Guzma's breathing had become a heavy hyperventilation as he looked at his parents with his furious dun eyes, and the looks he received in return were more than he ever could have asked for. Finally, he'd shaken their world. Finally, they knew how he was feeling. Finally, something could change. As he caught his breath, he allowed his words to sink in. Silence filled the void left by his voice.

His mother cradled her slapped hand in her arm as she looked at Guzma with tear-filled eyes from her retreat by her husband. Her mouth was open but she was speechless, for she could find no words that could possibly begin to respond to all her son had said. His father looked her over with concern before locking eyes with Guzma once more, and within his eyes held a fury far greater than that of any Beedrill or Banette.

And still, the fool that he was, Guzma continued to cling to that lingering hope that after all of this, something might change. Rachel had given him that hope, and he wasn't quite ready to forsake it yet. If the kid could forgive him after all he had done to her, maybe, just maybe he had a chance at making amends with his family too.

But people never change.

"Guzma, what is wrong with you!" His father all but shouted, raising his cane a foot off the ground as he stepped forward.

Those words had conditioned him to expect a beating, and although he no longer feared his father, Guzma flinched a step back at the sight of the raised cane as his younger self would have. Like Pavlov's dog, his reaction was involuntary, and he loathed himself for it. But without notice, his father allowed his cane to lower back to the ground, and it took the Bug Type user a moment to realize that his father's goal had been to stand as a wall immovable between Guzma and his sobbing mother, not to hit him.

He hated himself even more for his involuntary reaction once he had realized that.

It was then that Guzma suddenly become very aware of the crowd that their commotion had gathered, their murmuring like a wailing Exploud in his ears as he slowly realized how many people were watching. But it wasn't until he spotted Rachel in the front of the crowd, hugging Rowlet in her arms and holding a woven basket in her hands as she looked on at the scene with eyes that only held horror, that the blood ran cold like ice in his veins. He could have taken his parents. He could have taken the crowd that had gathered -their murmurings and their eyes- but to see the kid looked so horrified by what she was watching?

That, he could not take.

Guzma's eyes burned and his chest felt heavy with the weight of all of the judgmental eyes around him. Even after the crowd had seen all of that, he was still the enemy. They knew him only as the big bad boss of Team Skull: the man who stole their Pokemon and ransacked Po town, and who's actions helped nearly bring the world to an end. Guzma, the man who would shamelessly slap his mother in public when she was trying to calm him. That was all he was. That was all they would ever know him as. And now, that was all Rachel saw him as too.

Guzma averted his gaze and lifted his hood over his head, and it gave him enough reprieve from the eyes of the crowd to slouch and stuff his hands in his pockets again. He had stuck his neck out and he'd gotten beat, and now there was nothing left for him here.

"Whatever…" Guzma mumbled, and not even anger was present in his voice anymore. Just the overbearing weight of defeat as he hastily left the scene before more damage could be done.

* * *

**Hello dear readers! I'm Venus. It's lovely to meet you all, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! I apologize in advance for the long note, but with so much going on I feel it is important to mention a few things in this, my first ever published story.**

**I'm not new to writing in the slightest, but up until now I've been very shy in sharing my work, and as such I have little experience in this field, so please bear with me while I learn how to navigate and work in from the perspective of an author (hooray for learning how to update chapters and leave author notes!).**

**I would like to begin by giving some background information to this. The trouble is that this is just a fragment of a much larger story, Rachel's story, in the universe of Sun/Ultra Sun. As such, it was initially written with the assumption that a lot of background information is known by the audience. I write in fragments however, and at the request of my wonderful editor Moonlit I have done my best to amend this particular arc of the story so that I could publish it ahead of time. So, that being said, I would like to clarify some things about the summary. First is that Rachel is player Sun, and has experienced the events of Pokemon Sun and Moon/Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon from player Sun's perspective (for example, Nebby in her story is Solgaleo). Furthermore, the in-game events of Guzma in his house have already happened, and Guzma has already begun working with Hala and Rachel to turn his life around. Naturally, because of this there are plenty of character interactions that have effectively happened, but have not yet been written for you to view (such is the trouble of posting a story with background not covered). I will address these as they come up, but I have done my best to alter this story so that much can be inferred through what is said and narrated alone.**

**Finally, all of my Pokemon game stories are rooted in my in-game experiences. I love the Pokemon games and I love making stories out of the strangest little things that happen to me in my playthroughs. This story is an expanded take on Guzma's relationship with his parents- how it impacts him psychologically and how it impacts his attempt to have a fresh start, and finally how things are resolved. Things always get worse before they get better, and this is no exception.**

**I've put this note at the end instead of the beginning because I wanted you to read the first chapter and judge my writing for yourselves before I talked to you about it. For those who enjoyed it, there is more to come, and for those who read it and still didn't like it, that's tough luck I suppose. I put a lot of effort into writing and editing this story, and I look forward to sharing this with you all! Guzma is one of my favorites, and I think many can agree with me when I say I think he could really use a hug sometimes. Please do let me know what you think of the story! I will update weekly (or sooner, as I feel fit to) until the Forgotten Boy arc that makes up this story is completed.**


	2. Chapter 2

Rachel was dumbfounded.

When she'd spotted Guzma in the shopping district of Hau'oli city, she hadn't actually thought it was him at first. After all, why would he go to such a heavily populated area when he'd been avoiding people since he'd disbanded Team Skull? But as soon as the white-haired man had turned around, the shoddy red X taped over the skull on the back of his black hoodie became visible, and Rachel was certain it was him.

The moment she was sure of who she was looking at, her walk had become a sprint to catch up to him. Linda was still waiting for her to return from the berry farm, but Rachel was sure her mother wouldn't mind if she took a quick detour to say alola to her friend first. After all, she hadn't been in any contact with him at all during the days she'd been off the island, staying with Lillie and Lusamine at the Aether Foundation.

Guzma had stopped walking a few seconds after the young Champion began running to catch up with him, and it wasn't until she was much closer that she could make out that he was with his parents. As soon as she was a short distance away from Guzma, she slowed her pace and seated herself on a nearby cargo crate by one of the merchant stalls, hugging her partner Rowlet fondly and receiving endearing cooes in return as she watched her friend patiently. She wouldn't interrupt him when he was with his family, she had decided. It was rude, and Hala had said she was supposed to be a role model for good habits.

Rachel was far enough away that she couldn't quite hear most their conversation, but she got a good idea of what was going on from watching them. Guzma turned away from his mother as she went to hug him, stopping her in her tracks before she backed away. It hadn't surprised Rachel, seeing Guzma with his guard up around his parents. He had his guard up around everyone, it seemed- even Plumeria.

For a moment, the fragments she caught of their conversation had made it sound as though they might have been talking about the effectiveness of Hala's guidance, and Rachel had felt a pit of foreboding grow in her stomach, churning it with anxiety. She slid off the wooden crate and walked a few feet closer, hugging Rowlet tightly as she tried to hear what was going on. Her partner had cooed quietly to her then, as though he shared in her concern and was trying to reassure her.

Guzma was shouting shortly thereafter, a bitter mess of anger and emotions that could be heard well beyond her previous seat. A crowd had begun to gather by then, but in his frenzy Guzma couldn't have possibly noticed. He had snapped, and he would keep shouting until his parents had finally heard him. The things he revealed horrified Rachel, to the point where she almost couldn't believe it was true.

If it were anyone else, perhaps she wouldn't have believed it. But if there was one thing she'd learned about Guzma in all of the time that she'd known him, it was that the big bad boss of Team Skull always said what he meant and meant what he said.

His parents only seemed to prove his points further with each new word they spoke. As Guzma shouted, Rachel could see the pain in his eyes and hear the pain in his voice, and she wondered how his parents, who were standing in front of him and receiving the full brunt of his outrage, could not. There he was, all but pleading with them to try to understand, and instead his mother cried and his father scolded him for it.

"_Guzma, what is wrong with you!"_ His words seemed to strike a physical blow to Guzma; one that had the force and accuracy of a Double-Edge.

Rachel had always wondered why Guzma would say that to himself after each battle he lost against her. Now that she knew, the answer made her feel hollow and empty inside, and all she could manage was to stare, appalled.

Shortly after his father had said that, Guzma noticed the crowd- Rachel at its forefront. As their eyes locked, the Bug Type user seemed to go pale, and all of the fight he had in him quickly vanished, leaving only emptiness and lament in dun eyes that were quickly averted to the ground.

Guzma left shortly thereafter, bitter and defeated.

The crowd that had gathered took little time in dispersing once he left, returning to the business they had put on hold to spectate on the event as though nothing had happened. A couple of shopkeepers approached Guzma's parents to ask if they were alright. His mother continued to cry, and, unable to stand anymore, was guided to the nearest available chair. His father consoled her, assuring those who asked that Guzma, the pitiful man that he was, could hurt them no more than an insect. He cast cautious glances around the marketplace, his eyes locking onto Rachel with Laser Focus when he spotted her staring blankly like a Slowpoke. A couple of seconds later, Guzma's mother found her teary eyes on the child too.

The young Champion immediately averted her gaze to the ground and quickly turned away, much like Guzma had done before her. For some reason, she could no longer find it in herself to face Guzma's parents, who had been so kind and friendly to her before, anymore.

"Row?" Rowlet looked up at her and rubbed the top of his head on her chin in concern. He cooed quietly, and Rachel thought she could understand her partner. She felt the same way.

"Yeah, buddy." She murmured quietly to him. "Let's go."

Hastily, Rachel looked in the direction Guzma had gone, and she was jogging down the same path before she'd actually thought to do so. He was no longer in view, but she figured if she hurried, she could catch up to him before he had gone too far. Besides, she didn't think she could stand to stay in the marketplace any longer. Not while Guzma's parents were still there, boring holes into her with their critical eyes.

When Rachel was safely out of view behind one of the many shop's walls, she sent Rowlet to look for Guzma from the air while she searched on the ground. Within a matter of minutes, Rowlet had located the Bug Type user they were searching for and returned to Rachel to tell her the news.

"Rowlet, did you find him?" Rachel asked as she held out her arm for the Grass Quill Pokemon to land. Rowlet hooted wildly, landing only for a moment so he could point in the direction they needed to go with a wing before taking off again. Rachel nodded, following her partner's lead. "Show me the way."

_Guzma, what is wrong with you!_ His father's voice echoed distantly in his head as Guzma thought of the expression on the kid's face when he'd looked at her. _Of course she would be there._

He clenched his fists tightly as he thought about it, unable to hold back the scream he let loose as he planted his right fist firmly into the stone wall in front of him. His fist went numb with white-hot pain as the jagged rocks of the wall dug into his knuckles. It wasn't like the rest of his body and mind weren't experiencing the same numbness though. Guzma scoffed, pushing his fist further into the razor-sharp rocks of the stone wall. No matter how hard he pressed, however, that fact didn't seem like it was going to change.

Rachel and her partner had reached the Hau'oli beach in what she was sure was record time. Once they were there, the child stopped to observe her surroundings, holding her arm out for Rowlet to land as she did so. In the light of the setting sun, the beach was beautiful. The sand reflected a coppery shade of brown in the setting sunlight that was only outdone by the vibrant oranges of the sky, and the colors of the sky were only trumped by their sparkling image in the still waters that reflected them. Rachel found Guzma on the edge of the sandy stretch where they had battled last, his darkly-dressed figure in the shadows of the rock wall once again exposed by the bright red X taped across the skull logo on the back of his hoodie.

Guzma scoffed when he heard the child's footsteps in the sand as she approached. It had been what- not even ten minutes, and she'd already come looking for him? He shouldn't have been surprised. Rachel's tenacity was something he'd always liked about her. Still, he hated her for coming- hated her for following him. She was the last person he wanted to see right now.

"Guzma…" He could hear the concern in her tone and feel the worry in her innocent brown eyes. Why was she always so worried about him, anyway? Knowing her, the kid had probably coming running here without any plan at all, only for the sake of doing _something_. The fool.

"How much did you see?" Guzma couldn't help the anger from seething through his voice, but his resentment wasn't because of Rachel. It was only directed at her.

Rachel was taken aback by the question. "W-What-?" She considered the possibility that she had misheard, but Guzma interrupted her to repeat it again, all but shouting it this time. She was certain of what she'd heard then.

"How much did you see?!"

His ire reminded her of how he had been when he was the boss of Team Skull, and she suddenly felt the apprehension she'd had when facing him back then. "All of it, I think…" Rachel responded hesitantly.

"Tch," he scoffed, and for a moment his hostility was replaced with dolor. "Of course you did…"

It was the ultimate kick in the pants to know how little the kid would think of him now, after he'd finally felt like he was starting to make some progress with her there helping him. She'd given him hope for the future when he'd had none left of his own, and he'd gone and thrown it all away with one simple argument with the wrong people at the wrong place and the wrong time. Now she saw him for the monster he truly was, and there would be no going back from it. _Guzma, what is wrong with you!_

A tense silence would have filled the air between them if not for the gentle breathing of the ocean as the edge of the water rhythmically rushed forward and receded next to them. Rachel fidgeted with her fingers, unsure of what she could possibly say to mend the situation. She knew it had been wrong to stay and watch and she had done so anyway, because in seeing Guzma so distressed she couldn't stand the thought of leaving him alone like that. But she'd obviously seen things she shouldn't have seen, and now he was mad at her for it.

Understanding that gave her a start.

"Guzma… I…" Rachel began hesitantly. "I'm sorry I stayed… You were just so mad, and I didn't want you to feel like you were all alone, and I…" She trailed off, looked down at the orange sand apprehensively. The more she heard herself, the more it sounded like she was just giving excuses. "I'm sorry… I only wanted to help… That's what friends are for, right?" She offered shyly, optimistically, lifting her head once more.

Guzma didn't share in her childish optimism. "I've been alone all my life. I don't need you." He spat bitterly. "You're always trying to help, kid, but all you've ever done is make life worse for me. I lost my gang because of you. I'm stuck on this island with that old man Hala because of you. Hell, I was almost killed by a Beware because of you! And now ya come and get your nose into my family life, saying you want to help, but all you ever do is make things worse!" He hissed his anger through bared teeth. "Personally, I think I could do with a little less of your help, kid. Just leave me alone."

His words stung more than any Beedrill ever could. Rachel clenched her small fingers around the berry basket handle and looked down to the sand wistfully. She had never meant to do any of that, it had just happened as a result of events completely out of her control!

"At least I try…" The young Champion offered quietly, unable to come up with anything else in that moment.

Because everything had been going so well lately, she'd truly believed that all of those things were for the better. Even their encounter with the mother Beware had worked out in the end. In fact, after that incident Guzma's training with Hala had been going better than ever before, and she had felt they were starting to become really good friends with each other. Maybe she was naive. Maybe she had been wrong the whole time.

Maybe in his grief, he was just trying to push her away.

"Then quit trying already and go home, kid." Guzma growled. "'Cuz I ain't ever gonna change."

Whatever the reason, she wouldn't give up. She had seen the hope for a better future, and she would cling to that hope no matter the consequences, because she knew that if she let that hope go, even for a moment, all would be lost with it. If she didn't hope and she didn't try, who would?

"I'll never stop trying!" Rachel exclaimed, fingers clenched tightly around the woven basket handle as she looked up at him in determination. "You were really starting to make progress with Hala- I saw it! So I won't give up on you, no matter how much you want me too!"

"Then you're still as stupid as ever, kid."

Silence filled the air between them again, broken by a couple of squawking Wingull as they flew overhead towards the heart of the city. The desire for her to leave was practically washing off of Guzma like an incoming tide, but Rachel didn't budge. She didn't have all of the answers; she wasn't some smart scientist or doctor, nor was she the best battler. She was just some eleven-year-old kid in a world made for adults. But she had her hope and she had her faith in her Pokemon, and when all seemed lost that was what got her through even the toughest of situations. So she would stay and she would hope, and she would take everything in stride until it all worked out.

Guzma already knew she wouldn't leave. In fact, part of him was expecting it, and he knew he probably would have been a little bit disappointed if she had. But the kid, stubborn as she was, would never quit- no matter how hard he pushed her away. She never failed to do that much, at least. Reluctantly, he drew in a deep, long breath, letting it out slowly before he spoke again.

"Kid," he started as he slowly reached for his belt and took his partner's pokeball from it. If he couldn't beat her in conversation, he was just going to have to beat her in battle. "Battle me."

"What?" Rachel looked up at him in surprise. She hadn't been expecting him to talk, let alone to ask for a battle.

"You heard me." He scoffed, turning to face her with cold eyes as he pointed Golisopod's pokeball at her. "It wasn't a request."

In a flash of light, the Hard Scale Pokemon had emerged from his pokeball and stood ready to fight between them. Rachel took a step back at the sight of Golisopod, unease gripping her as she considered how she would handle this. She still felt the apprehension she had when she'd first met Guzma. He'd had the same cold eyes back then too- eyes that struck fear and respect into whoever they looked at.

She hadn't backed down then, and she wasn't about to back down now. It was a battle Guzma wanted- the reason he wanted it didn't matter. It was a battle he would get.

"Rowlet, I choose you buddy," the child looked to her partner, the only Pokemon with her right now, perching on her shoulder, and she saw the determination in his eyes as he cooed in acknowledgement. She was still nervous, but with her partner at her side, she was sure that everything would work out alright. "Go, Rowlet!"

She pointed forward, and Rowlet hooted in excitement for the battle as he flew over to join Golisopod in the space between the two trainers. Guzma wasted little time in giving out his first command once Rachel had backed off enough to give the two Pokemon some room.

"First Impression." His order was swift and decisive, and left little time for any sort of response. In the blink of an eye, Golisopod was onto Rowlet, and in another blink the Hard Scale Pokemon had thrust his claws into his opponent, throwing Rowlet to the sand.

"Rowlet!" Rachel called in alarm. Even after so many battles with Guzma, his Pokemon's signature move was still one that came with shock. Her partner got to his feet quickly though, hooting his readiness to her. He was okay, and with a breath of relief she called out her first attack. "Use Leaf Blade!"

Rowlet did as instructed. Flying up into the air, his wings began to glow green with his Grass Type power, and he flew down at Golisopod with calculated movements that helped him land a good hit against the Hard Scale Pokemon. Golisopod held his arm shields up in defense, his clawed feet digging into the sand as he took the hit until Rowlet had finally exhausted his momentum. The Grass Quill Pokemon ended his attack by following through in flight and coming back around so he could face his opponent once more.

"Use Waterfall!" Guzma commanded next.

Rachel was ready for him this time though. "Quick, hit him with a Sucker Punch!" She exclaimed hastily.

As Golisopod swiped at Rowlet, the Grass Quill Pokemon swiftly ducked under his opponent's claws, flying up around the Hard Scale Pokemon's arm and thrusting his powerful foot into the Bug Type's face.

"Poison Jab!" Guzma was quick to assert his retaliation. At his command, Golisopod, ignoring the foot still planted in his face, jabbed his glowing-purple claws into Rowlet, sending his opponent sprawling to the sand once more.

"Rowlet!"

When had Golisopod learned Poison Jab? Rachel wasn't sure, and she felt her heart thrumming in her chest as fear gripped her. Guzma was serious- perhaps moreso than he had ever been before. This wasn't a battle to be taken lightly.

"Rowlet, are you okay?" Her partner was poisoned. Rachel could tell he was struggling to get to his feet after the blow, digging hard into the sand and shivering in a cold sweat as he tried standing to continue battling.

If Rachel would not call her next command, Guzma would.

"Golisopod, Poison Jab again." He ordered, unrelenting despite the fact that his opponent's Pokemon still hadn't gotten up yet. There was no such thing as playing dirty in the cruel world he'd grown up in. Out here, it was Snubbull eat Snubbull, and it was about time he taught the kid that.

Like his trainer, Golisopod shared in this harsh view of the world. Moments after he had hit Rowlet with the first Poison Jab, the Hard Scale Pokemon's claws were glowing purple again and he was coming at the his opponent for another round.

"Rowlet, you have to get up!" Rachel cried in alarm.

Her partner pushed himself back away from Golisopod with his wings and his feet, but the Bug Type's large stride allowed him to cross the distance Rowlet put between them with ease. The Hard Scale Pokemon thrust his purple-glowing claws at Rowlet again, and his opponent just barely managed to push himself out of the way of the powerful attack, causing his purple-glowing claws to dig deep into the sand. Golisopod attacked again with his other clawed hand as he pulled the first out of the sand, but Rowlet quickly managed to drag himself out of the way again. Golisopod chittered in annoyance as he pulled his claws from the sand once more, and as he lifted them they glowed purple in preparation for another attack.

Rachel had to do something. At this rate, the battle would be over before it had begun, and she just couldn't let that happen. If she lost, she would prove to Guzma that he needed to be ruthless like this to win in life, and she doubted she would ever be able to bring him back from that.

"Rowlet, use Brave Bird!" In her partner's condition, she hated the idea of ordering him to use this move, but right now she felt she had no other option.

Before Golisopod could use the attack he was preparing, Rowlet summoned his strength and shot himself beak-first into Golisopod's soft underbelly, knocking the Hard Scale Pokemon back into the sand with the powerful impact before he, too, fell to the ground. The Grass Quill Pokemon cried in pain of the recoil of his reckless move and shivered as the poison sapped more of his energy. He was in pain, but he had gotten Golisopod away and that had given him a moment of reprieve from the relentless attacks, and that was more than Rachel could have asked for.

"Good job, Rowlet! You're doing great!" She encouraged cheerfully, trying to keep his spirits up. Her partner gave her a weary look that she returned with a confident smile. "Don't worry. I'm right here with you, buddy!"

Her words seemed to ease her partner some, and he slowly pulled himself to his feet, fighting off the poison to the best of his abilities, both so his trainer wouldn't worry and so he could keep battling. As long as Rachel was with him, he would move mountains to win for her. That was what it meant to have such a strong bond between trainer and Pokemon.

Meanwhile, Golisopod slowly got to his feet as well, gripping his pained underbelly as he forced himself to stand. It was clear he wanted to go back to his pokeball, but there would be no Emergency Exit for him in this battle. This was a one-on-one, and it wouldn't be over until Rowlet had fainted, or he had.

Guzma expressed no outward concern for his Pokemon beyond the narrowing of his eyes as he realized Golisopod's energy had dipped under half with that last attack, and his Pokemon was trying to make an Emergency Exit. Of course he couldn't have expected to win with just one attack. This was Rachel he was dealing with, the Champion of Alola. Even when she was put on the spot to battle with only her Rowlet, who refused to evolve no matter the trials they faced, she was a formidable opponent. He would not lose though. He'd had enough of her childish games. It was about time he showed her how serious he could get.

"Golisopod, Waterfall!" He commanded.

Golisopod opened his clawed hands, and the energy of the Water Type move he was preparing made them shimmer magnificently in the light of the setting sun. In an instant, the Hard Scale Pokemon was running at Rowlet, claws poised and ready to strike the moment he got within range.

"Rowlet, use Sucker Punch again!" Rachel instructed hastily. So long as her partner was still standing, she would do everything in her power to help him win. "Follow up with Leaf Blade!"

Rowlet's size made it easy for him to fly around Golisopod's claws, once again allowing him to land another swift foot to the Hard Scale Pokemon's face. When Golisopod went to retaliate with Waterfall, Rowlet held his green-glowing wings in front of him to defend himself. The Grass Type powering the defensively utilized attack repelled much of the Water Type power, causing the two to be pushed away from each other so the energy building up between the two attacks could be released.

In the sand, Rowlet winced again, trying to tough out the poison still sapping his strength. He was getting weaker with each new move, Rachel knew, and it was only a matter of time now before he fainted.

"Rowlet, how are you doing?" Rachel called to her partner. She needed to make sure he didn't lose hope.

"Row- rowlet," her partner huffed wearily, looking back at her and nodding. He was weak and tired, but she could understand that he was still okay to battle for now. She nodded back to her partner with a smile.

"Alright then, Rowlet, use Synthesis!" Rachel commanded. Now that her partner was on his feet again and Golisopod wasn't on the offensive, it was a good chance to let her Pokemon recover. Like Solgaleo, the light of the setting sun was her ally, and she would use it to help her and her partner achieve victory.

Rowlet closed his eyes to concentrate for a moment, and his chlorophyll-filled feathers began to shimmer as they absorbed the light of the setting sun.

Guzma scoffed as he watched. "Don't let Rowlet recover! Use Poison Jab!" He ordered. He wasn't about to lose this battle because he hesitated and allowed his opponent to get the upper hand.

Golisopod did as instructed. His claws glowed purple as he charged at Rowlet, and, distracted by his synthesizing, the Grass Quill Pokemon didn't have a chance to react as he was thrown back by the Poison Type attack. Rowlet rolled gracelessly in the sand until he had lost all momentum, groaning past the poison as he got to his feet again. He heaved in exhaustion, but he wasn't out of the fight yet. In the few seconds that he had gotten to synthesize, he had recovered the energy needed to continue.

"Rowlet! How are you feeling?" Rachel asked once more, looking down at her partner only a short distance from her feet now. He looked up at her tired, but hooted readily. It was as though in that instant, their minds were united as one, and he could tell what she was thinking as she could, him. "Alright, in that case, let's wrap this up quickly!" The young Champion exclaimed, determined as she pointed at Golisopod. "Rowlet, use Brave Bird! Aim under Golisopod's scales!"

Rowlet hooted in understanding, opening his feathered wings and flying high in the sky to build up power.

"Golisopod, brace yourself!" Guzma ordered, unable to hide the nerves in his voice. He knew his Pokemon was too slow to avoid a full-force Brave Bird, and would have to deal with it another way or risk losing the battle.

As Rowlet swerved himself back down towards the ground, Golisopod poised himself to defend and retaliate against the incoming attack. In a matter of seconds, Rowlet had closed the distance between them, and when the Grass Quill Pokemon was only moments from making impact, Guzma called out another order.

"Now, use Sucker Punch!"

_I knew it!_ Rachel found herself ready as she watched the Bug Type preparing for Rowlet's attack. Sucker Punch was a move Guzma had used on her time and again, baiting Rowlet into thinking he'd won and swiftly knocking him out of the sky with one punch when he wasn't expecting it. But this time, she was anticipating it, and so was her partner.

"Dive, Rowlet!" The young Champion exclaimed, and at her command Rowlet dove down steeper, barely avoiding the new attack. Only inches from the ground, the Grass Quill Pokemon swooped back up again, and his beak collided with the Hard Scale Pokemon's soft underbelly with such force that Golisopod was thrown in the air in Rowlet's follow-through. When Golisopod fell back to the ground, the impact threw up the sand around him in a cloud that could not be seen through.

It took several seconds for the sand to settle, and when it had, it was clear that Golisopod was unable to battle. Rowlet had won.

"Guzma, what is wrong with you!" Guzma roared, pulling at his hair and kicking at the sand as he scolded himself. Even now, after everything, he still wasn't good enough. No amount of anger he had or effort he put in would ever change that.

Rachel let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding with a deep sigh of relief and smiled. "Rowlet, we did it!" She exclaimed, opening her arms to embrace her feathery friend when he flew over.

In her arms, he could rest easy knowing she would take care of him, and relaxed in his fight against the poison invading his body. "Row, rowlet?"

"You were so great out there, buddy! Rest, you deserve it." Rachel happily rubbed her cheek against her partner's feathers as she praised him.

She didn't cuddle the Grass Quill Pokemon for long though. He was poisoned, after all, and needed immediate medical attention. Carefully, Rachel crouched down to the ground and set the berry basket in front of her, and she sifted through it until she'd found a pecha berry, and hastily she fed it to her partner. He immediately began to feel better from his poison after he had finished it, and within moments he was back to his cheerful self again. Seeing her partner in good health relieved Rachel.

The child stood then, and looked over to her opponent's side of their makeshift battlefield. Golisopod still lay fainted in the sand, his trainer behind him doing the same with an arm stretched across his eyes. Rachel bent down and grabbed another oran berry before walking over to the Hard Scale Pokemon and kneeling down next to him.

"Hey Golisopod," she greeted softly, petting his head until the Bug Type awoke. He looked at her and chittered in a weary confusion, and she held out the oran berry for him to eat. "You battled really well too! You've gotten so strong!" She complimented cheerfully. "Eat this, it'll help you feel better."

Golisopod hesitated a second before reaching his head over and grabbing the berry in his jaws. He tossed it into his mouth and swallowed it whole, and after he had consumed it he regarded her happily.

"Goliso!" Rachel knew he was thanking her, and she smiled joyfully in response.

Rowlet hopped closer, his feet sinking into the sand with each new bound as he hooted eagerly to his battle opponent, acknowledging the Bug Type's strength. Golisopod slowly sat up, stretching and moving in such ways so as to remove the sand that had gotten between his large plates of armor, and he happily conversed with Rowlet as he did so.

Seeing the two getting along so well, Rachel felt she could leave them to their conversation and stood. There was still one more who needed her help, after all. She set her sights on her motionless friend in the sand and approached him timidly, slowly kneeling down at his side when she had reached him. He still refused to face her, and said nothing to acknowledge her presence even after she had settled at his side.

"Guzma…" She hated seeing him like this, and doubted losing their Pokemon battle had done much to improve his mood. Throwing the match would have been worse though. "I-"

"Just… leave me alone, kid. I'm not in the mood…" He sighed wearily. Even now, she was still trying to help him. _She's a fool._ He thought, his mental voice an indignant grumble.

"You don't have to keep pushing me away, you know…" Rachel said softly. "I want to help, really!"

"Why are you trying so hard anyway, kid?" Guzma scoffed, but the fatigue was evident in his voice. "It's not like anything's ever going to change. No matter what you do or how hard ya try, nothin' will ever change…"

"You're wrong. Things have already changed!" The young Champion responded, digging her hand absentmindedly into the sun-warmed sand as she adjusted herself to a more comfortable position. "Maybe it'll take a while and maybe things aren't always going to be perfect, but that doesn't mean we should give up when things seem hopeless. If we do, how can we ever expect things to get better?"

Sometimes the kid was too wise for her age, and Guzma found himself wondering if that was actually how she felt, or if she was just regurgitating someone else's words and hoping she was right. Whichever the case, he wasn't in the mood for her overly-optimistic speeches right now. He sighed and turned away from her, resting his head on his arm as he looked across the orange sand of the beach.

"Whatever. You don't know what you're talkin' about, anyway." He grumbled under his breath. "Just go away…"

Silence filled the air between them once more, and Rachel felt uncertainty grip her as she watched her friend laying motionless in the sand. Her mother and her Pokemon were probably worried sick about her by now; an errand that should have taken less than an hour had gone well into the setting of the sun. And yet, she still couldn't find it in herself to leave Guzma here like this. After all, friends were supposed to be there to help each other in times of turmoil, and Guzma was her friend now, no matter how hard he tried pushing her away in his pain. She didn't want to worry her family, but she doubted leaving Guzma here like this was any better.

Maybe she didn't have to. Maybe there was a way to compromise the two.

"Hey, Guzma?" She began, and she lifted her eyes to look at the red X taped across his back. "Why don't you come back home with me? We're throwing a party to celebrate Lusamine's recovery! There'll be lots of good food and drinks, and all of our friends will be there! It'll be lots of fun!"

_What friends? _He couldn't help the bitter thought that crossed his mind. Was she referring to Hala and Gladion, or perhaps even Hau? Maybe even Lusamine? Guzma couldn't find it in him to consider any of them friends right now.

"Not interested, kid." He huffed. "Go away."

"C'mon, come with me!" Rachel pressed, almost playful as she pulled at his arm. "You'll have fun! And it'll be much better than laying out here in the sand."

"I said no!" Guzma shouted, pulling his arm away from her and lifting his hood over his head. "Can't you see I don't care about your stupid party?! Leave me alone!"

Rachel sheepishly looked down at the sand, her chest tight and her arms stiff in uncertainty. She didn't want to leave Guzma out here like this, but he also refused to come with her, so what was she supposed to do? If he would just give her a chance, he would have a good time. She was certain of it! But what could she say to get him to go?

Their Pokemon playing together in the sand a short distance away gave her an idea.

"Well…" She began, shyly looking up once more. "I'm sure Golisopod and the rest of your Pokemon would enjoy the party… There are lots of Pokemon for them to play with, and my mom is making some really special Pokemon food for the occasion that I'm sure they would enjoy!" She offered, loud enough for the Hard Scale Pokemon to hear, and she turned to him for confirmation. "You'd like that, right Golisopod?"

Golisopod was thrilled with the idea, and eagerly vocalized his agreement with a quick nod. Rowlet also seemed overjoyed by the notion, and did the same. Rachel smiled, thankful to have both of their support, and she turned to face Guzma again. Even with his back turned to her, his silence told her that she had his attention.

"See?" She stated, and she felt her point was strong enough that it just might sway him. "If Golisopod wants to go, I'm sure all of your other Pokemon want to go too! You wouldn't deprive them of all of that, would you?"

Guzma detested her blackmail techniques, she was certain, but Rachel knew she'd got him beat when his own stomach growled indignantly at the thought of food. "C'mon. You'll have food and friends, and you'll be in a warm house instead of here on the sand. We'll get some food in you and you'll forget all about what happened, you'll be having so much fun!" She offered again, optimistically.

Guzma didn't particularly like the sand right now. He didn't like that he was hungry, and he didn't like that his Pokemon were hungry either. And although he had been telling her to leave the whole time, there was a small part of him that appreciated that she'd stayed. He appreciated that she'd battled with him so he could vent his frustration, and he appreciated that she still hadn't given up on him even when he himself had. And now, even after all he'd said to her and all he'd done to push her away, she was still looking out for him and his Pokemon. He didn't deserve her kindness. He didn't deserve her friendship. But he was too hungry and exhausted to reject them anymore.

"Fine," he sighed wearily, scratching his head as he turned on his back. He still couldn't quite bring himself to face her though. "I'll go."

"Yay!" Rachel beamed with joy, unable to contain her excitement as she stood and dusted her legs off before holding her hand out to help the former gang leader up.

Guzma stood on his own. When he was on his feet, he shook his hood out and lifted it over his head once more. "Golisopod, we're leaving." He informed wearily, and he returned his partner to his pokeball before shoving his hands back in his pockets.

He wasn't looking too good. In the waning sunlight, his eyes looked worn and depressed, and his slouch had grown considerably since last Rachel had seen him. He didn't bother to dust the sand from his back and side as he stood there, waiting for the young Champion to lead him to her house. Because he would not do it himself, Rachel gently removed the sand from his hoodie. He no longer argued or objected, too tired to do so any further.

Once she'd finished dusting him off, Rachel gently took his uninjured hand into her own and walked backwards a few feet, guiding him with a cheerful smile that he made no effort to return. She continued holding his hand for some time after they had set out, afraid that if she let go, he might lag behind or stop altogether, but when she finally released him, he absently kept up with her and she realized this fear was unnecessary. Their pace was slower than it could have been; Guzma wasn't in any rush and Rachel didn't push him. She had faith that he would have fun at the party when he would have otherwise been lost to his despair, and that alone made it all worth it.

* * *

**Hello dear readers! Welcome back, I hope you enjoyed chapter 2! This chapter was a bit longer than most... In a size 12 font it hit 17 pages on my document (whew). I generally choose to divide my chapters into scenes, so sometimes that happens. Don't expect all chapters to be like this, but don't be surprised when you see one that is.**

**Anyway, I figured I'd share a couple of fun, random pieces of information with you guys while I'm here (_these author notes are kinda fun_). Did you know that on the mobile app for this site, there's an option to have a robotic voice read the fanfiction you have open to you? Up until a little while ago, I didn't. It's really amusing having that robotic voice read the most emotionally intense moments of some of your favorite fanfictions though! For example, when I used it on chapter 1 of forgotten boy, it just sounded like a bunch of robots with family issues. I definitely suggest playing around with that if you're bored and looking for something to entertain you! ****Also, Pokemon battles are some of the toughest things to write. You'd think they'd be action-packed and fun to write because 70% of Pokemon is the battles and whatnot, but its so easy to fall into the trap of "he did this then she did this then he did this". This chapter was especially hard to write because of the battle.**

**Finally, I'm going to wrap this up by informing you guys that there's a good possibility the next chapter will be posted late (not too late). I caught a bad cold a couple of days ago and I've been stuck in bed with a brutal fever since. I didn't really want to withhold this chapter from you guys after my editor and I had worked so hard all week writing and editing it, but doing anything cognitive when you have a fever kinda sucks. I'll do my best to keep this story's updates on track though.**

**Thank you to my editor Moonlit for all of your hard work, and to you, my audience, for reading, liking, and reviewing the story! I'll see you all next week (or around that time)!**


	3. Chapter 3

The setting sun was beautiful as it dipped under the horizon. In the time that it took the two of them to reach the Eastern city limits, it cast the sky with dimming violets and blues that lingered and refused to fade even when the reds and oranges had long since gone. Rachel and Guzma walked in a relatively comfortable silence, only broken by the sounds of a city preparing to go to sleep.

Rachel hadn't thought much of the faint siren in the distance until Officer Jenny's motorcycle, followed at sprint by her trusty companion Arcanine, had turned onto the street they were walking down. Her motorcycle light was blinding in the dimming light of the evening, forcing Rachel to stop and shield her eyes as she waited for the vehicle to pass.

Guzma would have run into her if he hadn't took notice of his surroundings when he had. He sighed quietly at the kid's impulsiveness, but was soon lost in his own thoughts again as he looked down at the lines drawn on the road.

As soon as Officer Jenny spotted the two of them on the sidewalk, her siren went silent and her motorcycle light dimmed, and she slowed her motorcycle just enough so that it rolled to a stop in front of them. Arcanine took these as signals and was quick to sync up with his partner, stopping next to her and panting happily in place. The playful puppy he was.

"Alola, Rachel," Jenny greeted as she kicked her stand down, removing her helmet and shaking out her frilly blue hair before facing the two of them. "Guzma." She stood from her motorcycle.

"Alola, Officer Jenny!" Rachel greeted in kind. She knew Guzma wasn't in the talking mood and moved the conversation along quickly to spare him from it. "Has something happened? You're out late."

The grim look on the officer's face left the young Champion uncertain. "Yes. We received a phone call informing us that there was an incident in the marketplace earlier." Jenny explained, unwavering in her officer's resolve. "Guzma, I'm afraid I'm going to have to take you into custody."

She didn't have time to get to the charges. At the mention of the marketplace incident, Guzma's eyes had shot up to face the officer with a look of horror like none Rachel had seen before. It was as though he knew full well what was coming next, and when his suspicions were confirmed, his face went pale and his legs suddenly felt very weak- so weak, in fact, that he stumbled and had to catch himself before he fell back entirely. At that moment, the weight of the despair in his eyes looked like it could have crushed him.

And in a heartbeat, Guzma was running.

At first, Jenny was surprised by how suddenly the former gang leader's composure had shattered, but she didn't allow her shock to keep her from action for long. "Hey! Stop, in the name of the law!" She ordered. It didn't take long for her to realize that Guzma wasn't going to stop though, and her decisiveness in that moment could have almost been mistaken for malice. "Arcanine!" She called to her partner, who had already bent into a starting position in foresight of a chase.

The young Champion wasn't quite sure if Arcanine had used Extreme Speed when he'd been given the approval from his partner to pursue. The Legendary Pokemon passed Rachel in the blink of an eye, the speed with which he passed generating enough wind to wrench her red hat from her head. Rachel gasped and jumped to keep her hat in place, turning when her eyes could no longer follow Arcanine from her current position.

Guzma didn't get very far once Arcanine was in pursuit. In a matter of seconds, Arcanine was upon him, and the trained police Pokemon showed no mercy in taking his target's sweater in his large canines and yanking him back, flinging Guzma the distance he'd ran like a brand new chew toy.

Guzma made a high and unpleasant sound as he hit the pavement, winded, and he hardly had a moment to recover before Arcanine's front paws were pinning him to the ground. The weight of the large Pokemon on his back was crushing, and cheek pressed firmly against the pavement, Guzma gasped and shifted painfully in an attempt to get himself into a position that allowed him to breathe easier. It didn't do much.

Arcanine gave a single bark to signal the completion of his task, wagging his tail playfully as he panted to catch his breath.

"Guzma!" Rachel gasped, and she turned to Jenny in alarm.

Jenny, too, seemed surprised by her Pokemon's unintentional ferocity. He had just evolved, after all, and the new speed acquired by his ascension had made him particularly playful. "Good job, Arcanine," she praised, giving the Pokemon a calming gesture that asked him to ease up. When Arcanine had lifted one paw from Guzma so that only the other was holding his target down, Jenny tossed her partner a berry as a treat that the Legendary Pokemon ate happily.

"Officer Jenny, there must be some kind of mistake!" Rachel exclaimed, trying to suppress the panicked haste she found herself in when she saw her friend's anguish. "I was there. Guzma didn't do anything wrong! Why is he being arrested?"

Jenny was calm, as she had been trained to be, in answering all of the young Champion's questions. "The man who called in said that Guzma assaulted his wife." She explained. "Other witnesses at the scene confirmed that he'd slapped the woman. Are you saying this information is false?"

"N-No, that's true," Rachel shook her head, sheepish, "but he just wanted to talk to them. They weren't listening!"

Rowlet hooted his agreement as he flew and circled around Arcanine once, as though to inform the Legendary Pokemon of the same thing, before landing on the ground next to the two of them.

"Then I'm afraid there's nothing I can do," Jenny said, but her apprehension told Rachel that she understood and was trying to think of an alternate solution. When she could find none, she added remorsefully, "unfortunately, I still have to detain him until I can contact Kahuna Hala and figure out what to do next. Those were the terms we agreed to when we complied with the Kahuna's wishes take Guzma into his care. But we haven't been able to get a hold of him all evening, so I have no choice in the matter."

Rachel couldn't have been more relieved. She could work with that. "Kahuna Hala is at my house! We're holding a party and he came to join us." She explained. "If you would allow me, I can take Guzma right to the Kahuna. We were on our way there now, actually. Right, Rowlet?"

Rowlet hooted in agreement again, nodding quickly, but Jenny seemed hesitant. After a moment of deliberation, she looked into the child's eyes and saw a determination so true that she couldn't refuse it.

"Alright," the officer said slowly. The looks she saw between the Champion and the former gang leader told her that more was going on to this than she knew, and she felt she could trust Alola's first ever Champion to see through what she had started. "But on one condition. Please tell Kahuna Hala to contact me as soon as possible- to keep me updated on the situation, alright?"

Rachel beamed. "You can count on me, Officer!"

Jenny smiled as she put her helmet on. It was never in doubt. "C'mon, Arcanine!" She called to her Pokemon partner. "We're leaving this to the Champion. Let's go home."

Arcanine barked in confirmation and released Guzma, who grunted uncomfortably at the movement, at once. The Legendary Pokemon then stepped over Guzma with long strides to join his trainer, who had already mounted her motorcycle and was getting it ready to leave.

"Take care, Rachel." The officer nodded to the child contently once her ride was ready to go.

"You too, Officer!" Rachel responded cheerfully. "And thank you!"

Jenny smiled and left without another word, Arcanine trailing behind her with his tongue dangling gracelessly out of his mouth as he ran. Rachel watched the officer and her Pokemon until they had turned the corner and were out of sight before turning and approaching Guzma. His breathing was hard and heavy, and he had just managed to lift himself from all-fours so that he was sitting on his knees.

"Are you okay?" She asked, concerned.

He looked miserable. Guzma, who hissed his wavering breath through bared teeth and turned his head away from the child when she approached, did not answer. After giving himself a moment to let his aching body recover, he forced himself up with great effort and slowly started walking in the opposite direction. He'd had enough of this. Even when he was going along with the kid, nothing seemed to go right for him. In fact, he would have gone faster -ran, even- but his body wouldn't allow it without displaying signs of the lingering pain from when he'd been winded. He wanted to go- to get away as quickly as possible. Where didn't matter. He just wanted to go somewhere dark and quiet, where he could be alone and where nothing else could happen to him on this miserable evening.

"… Guzma…?" Rachel could almost feel the pain she saw in his eyes, and it broke her heart. She clenched her hand over her chest in a futile effort to ease it.

Even after everything, he was still trying to carry the weight of all he was going through alone. Even after everything, he was still trying to push her away. But she wouldn't allow it. She saw the pain in his eyes, and she wasn't about to sit back and watch and pretend that nothing was happening, as his mother had. Guzma had only walked a few feet from her, but Rachel all but dropped her basket of berries and ran to catch up with him, and without warning she wrapped her arms tightly around him from behind. Guzma froze.

"Please don't go…" Rachel said, her voice barely a whisper as she hugged him.

Guzma was taking deep breaths in and out, a fast-failing attempt to suppress his emotions. He couldn't show them to the kid again- not like this. He was Guzma! He didn't show weakness to anyone.

"Why don't you just give up on me already, kid?" He scoffed under his wavering breath, biting down on it hard to keep it from being heard.

Rachel continued to hold him tight, for fear that if she loosened up even just a little bit, he would walk away and be lost for good. "You don't deserve that." She responded, kind and resolute. "I don't want to just be another person who stands by and watches… I want to help you…"

A single drop leaked from each of his eyes; the only tears he couldn't contain. He lifted his head to the sky in a vain effort to stop them, but they rolled down his cheeks uninterrupted, joining together at his chin to form one single drop that remained. He chuckled a sad, short, broken laugh.

"It's raining out." He stated wearily, only when he was sure he could control the emotions in his voice.

There wasn't a cloud in the sky. There hadn't been a cloud in the sky all day. Still, Rachel found herself agreeing; it'd been pouring buckets all evening. "Yeah, it is…"

Guzma's elbows were pressed firmly against her arms, and when she noticed, she smiled. He wanted her to stay, and she didn't need to hear it from him to know that it was true. After all, Guzma had always been a man whose actions spoke louder than any words.

"I'm with you, Guzma." Rachel said softly, closing her eyes as she rested her head on his back. She felt she could loosen her hold on him now -she was probably squishing the life out of him, she noticed- but couldn't find it in herself to ease up much.

"Thanks, kid…" No more needed to be said.

Guzma and Rachel stayed embraced as they were for what felt like much longer than it actually was, only separating when Guzma found the pain of standing there stronger than his struggle to contain his emotions. He breathed a deep, long sigh, and Rachel knew he was doing better. Maybe not okay, but better. Slowly, she released him, taking his elbow into her hands and gently pulling him her way.

"C'mon," she said cheerfully, a bright smile on her face. "We have a party to get to!"

Guzma followed along silently, eyes lowered to the ground and hands stuffed in his pockets as he walked. Rachel ahead of him happily led on, her partner on her shoulder and her berry basket in hand.

* * *

**Hello my dear readers! Apologies for being so late in this update, the cold really had me down and life has a habit of sidetracking one. **

**I hope you didn't think Guzma would get off so easy! He's a former gang leader, after all~**

**Anyways, I'm putting this story on hiatus. I'm not going to be one of those authors who tells you I have life weighing me down and I'll update when I can. The fact of the matter is, I've lost interest. I'll come back to this eventually, as I always do, but for now it's a no-go. Before I go, I'd like to thank my editor once again for all of his help. He's been instrumental in the production of this work for a more public audience, despite the fact that the rest of the Sun/Ultra Sun story is missing. I hope you enjoyed what I have so far, and you look forward to what happens next, and above all, I wish you, my dear readers, the very best!**


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